Firefighter cancer presumption in South Carolina
No workers' comp cancer presumption exists in South Carolina. Firefighters must instead be covered by their departments through a cancer benefit once they've done 5 years of service.
Law that applies: S.C. Code Ann. § 23-9-197. Workers' comp doesn't use it; it's for supplemental cancer insurance instead.
A cancer benefit is insurance your department must carry that pays out when a firefighter gets a listed cancer. Workers' comp (workers' compensation) is the insurance that pays medical bills and part of your lost pay when work makes you sick.
Conditions under South Carolina's law
- Your service lasted 5 years or more.
- The law covers both paid and unpaid firefighters, so volunteers count too.
- Your diagnosis is one of the cancers on the plan's list.
- Within ten years of your diagnosis, you were on active service.
- Your service was with a fire department in South Carolina, not with a federal fire agency.
- If you did fire protection for a forestry district or the State Commission of Forestry, you may also qualify.
- The cancer was detected during your service or no more than 10 years after your last day.
Questions about your diagnosis, your service record or your deadline go to the claims line: +1 833 853 0496
Cancers that count in South Carolina
| Cancer | Covered in South Carolina? |
|---|---|
| Bladder cancer | Yes |
| Brain cancer | Yes |
| Breast cancer | Yes |
| Colon or rectal cancer | Yes |
| Esophagus cancer | Yes |
| Kidney cancer | Yes |
| Leukemia | Yes |
| Liver cancer | Yes |
| Lung cancer | Yes |
| Multiple myeloma | Yes |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Yes |
| Ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer | Yes |
| Pancreatic cancer | Yes |
| Prostate cancer | Yes |
| Skin cancer, melanoma included | Yes |
| Stomach cancer | Yes |
| Testicular cancer | Yes |
| Throat or mouth cancer | Yes |
| Thyroid cancer | Yes |
| Mesothelioma | Not named |
A cancer marked "Not named" can still be part of a workers' comp claim, but a doctor must connect it with your job.
How do you file a firefighter cancer workers' comp claim in South Carolina?
- Put it in writing to your department that you have cancer and that you believe the job caused it. Hold onto a copy for yourself.
- Send your claim to the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission or the insurer your employer uses, and name the law that applies (S.C. Code Ann. § 23-9-197) on your form.
- Collect your diagnosis, your hire and service dates, your fire and exposure records, and any physical exam results.
- Start soon. Workers' comp claims have time limits for telling your employer and for filing, and some are short.